


Contagious

by Le_mango



Category: The Last of Us
Genre: F/F, Fluff, apparently I can’t write without hurting someone, but zombies are mean, just a random blurb, some sneaky angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-07-08 20:21:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19875529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Le_mango/pseuds/Le_mango
Summary: Dina has questions. Sometimes the answers hurt.





	Contagious

**Author's Note:**

> Just an idea I had a while ago but couldn’t find a reason to fit it into another story. (+super optimistic head-canon)

“So you're immune?” Dina asked flatly. 

Ellie stared down pretending not to hear her. The last few months she’d been plagued by all sorts of questions. It had started out nice, therapeutic even. Pulling apart different aspects of symptoms. Talking about the fireflies and how their plans really wouldn’t have worked. 

“Okay, so say they had taken your brain. Vaccines are fucking weird to begin with and there’s no guarantee they could get a sample to begin with. In the two-percent chance they make one; How could they distribute it? Before that how would you even test it? Hell, there’s no way you could test it ethically. It affects animals way differently and it’s not like there’d be willing volunteers...”

Those discussions were great. Now they led further and further into rabbit holes. Ellie kept working on the Rubik’s cube in hand with the music blasting. “If I don’t look at her she will forget, ” a more then conscious thought. A list of previous questions included,

_ “Can you talk to mushrooms?” _

_ “Is that mold your uncle?” _

_ “Could you use echolocation to get around a dark room?” _

_ “What happens if you bite a clicker?” _

Most the time they were teasing. Although Dina actually seemed serious about the echolocation one. “Ellie,” Dina pushed the headset off one ear, “this is important.”

“What?”

“Are you contagious?”

“Dude,” Ellie sighed dropping her hands to her lap. She was so close to beating her own record. “How many times have you asked that? If I was you’d be dead now.”

“Yeah, but do you have like any zombie STD’s”?” 

The tape stopped. Or at least Ellie couldn’t hear it anymore. “No?!” A hand flew up but she couldn’t find the words to accompany the gesture. “God no?!” First on her mind, what the fuck gross. Second, why is Dina thinking about that? Uh first of all if she wants to do that, yeah maybe sure. The tape started making the sound of a cd skipping. Wait, that might just her brain backfiring and throwing off clouds of smoke.

“What?” Dina threw both hands out. “It’s not like there’s really a guide book to this. The last thing I want is fungus growing out of my bits.”

“What the ffff-“ Ellie hissed air out like the worlds largest flat tire. She slowly melted into a forward slouch. Hands twitching in the air unsure if they should massage her temple or cover her face completely. “Why, just why.”

“Gotta be prepared.” Dina watched as continued to malfunction. Her mouth pulled into a tight line before she burst out laughing. “Sorry.” She kissed Ellie’s forehead but she seemed to have frozen permanently. 

\----X----

It had happed. Years of nightmares and preparing. Saying never again. There were to many. Ellie ran arm out trying to grab what was just out of reach. How could one instant drag on for so long? They were running. If they could get up the stairs they should be able to get out safely. Or at least that was the plan. The steel stairs had wide gaps between each step. They had been so close. The deformed hand shot out of the dark. Ellie had been running behind to make sure the clickers didn’t get to Dina without going through her first. She should have gone in front. 

The hand shot out grabbing her leg. A muffled cry and Dina fell hard. The clang against the metal rang for what seemed like forever. She fell. Teeth tore into her jeans. Not fast enough. “Damn,” Time sped up slapping Ellie across the face, “It! Fuck!” She threw herself up the steps kicking the thick head away. The clicks grating against her ears. Dina struggling to get up. “Come on.” Ellie pleaded pulling her along. “It’s fine.” Her voice cracked eyes already tearing up. Maybe it was the smoke. Maybe she misunderstood what she saw and Dina’s fine. 

The stairs groaned as the reached the top. Pounding across the catwalk to a heavy door at the end. So close. They had been so close. Ellie practically threw Dina.Dozens of clickers slamming into the door just as she wedged it shut. “Let’s go.” Ellie threw her machete into her bag grabbing Dina again. Arm around her waist ducking under her shoulder. Dina grimaced limping heavily to one side. This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening this isn’t happening. It happened. 

“Ellie I’m so sorry.” Dina cried into her hand. 

“No. Noo don’t apologize.” Ellie pulled the last knot tight and Dina let out a pained whimper. Her gut twisted at the sound. She should have cleaned the wound better but they still needed to get out of there. She would need stitches but what was the point? “You're going to be fine, alright.” Ellie lied trying to clear her own tears away. Mercy kill is what everyone said they wanted. But who was that really saving? She couldn’t let Dina go. But she intimately knew how much pain that would cause. “We’re getting out of here.”

“Just leave me.” Dina looked up. Everything was torn from the inside to out. 

“You know I can’t do that,” Ellie whispered. She was tempted to take the knife and drive it through her own heart in order to wake up from the nightmare. This couldn’t happen. “I love you.” Her jaw quivered and Dina pulled her close and kissed Ellie harder than she ever could have imagined. Taking every second she could. Messy brushes between staggered breaths. Please wake up. Clicks and screeches echoed down the hall before more running against the thin door. There was no telling how much more time they had. Her hands clinging to Dina, leaving bloodied streaks across her face. Ellie held onto one last desperate kiss but she heard the door crack. 

She could see it. A thin line drawing down the middle. The bodies slamming against the other side making it grow and widen. “We have to go,” Ellie said helping Dina up but she couldn’t put any weight onto her leg. One last effort and she threw her over a shoulder. Ellie ran like the devil was on her heels. According to some it was already on her back too. 

She had gotten out. Sprinted a few blocks before letting Dina down. From there she could hobble with support. Her entire left calf was coated in blood. The torn jeans flapped loosely with each step. “Too bad you already used the last Molotov.” Dina tried to joke. The last hour floated by in a daze. She was going to die and didn’t even have a drink to go down with. Dina could feel the wound starting to prickle. The sensation crawling up her leg as the infection spread. If she cut the whole thing off would she make it? They were both moving like zombies. Quite literally in this case. Emotionally drained. Physically drained. Possibly the worst outcome this world had to offer and they had turned numb to it. What else could a person even do?

“I guess we better find a place to stop,” Ellie mumbled. Dina nodded knowing this was her last night. They ate the last of the food they had saved. Ellie cleaned the wound and stitched it beautifully. It should have hurt but Dina couldn’t feel the needle. She wrapped it up. Clean bandages and everything. 

The fuzzy feeling was working past her hip. Similar to the feeling when you sat with your legs crossed for too long. But closer to the wound itched. It was infuriatingly itchy but it was so deep she couldn’t reach it if she tried. It was like she needed to scratch the bone itself before it would help. Her vision was starting to blur. An intense budding headache. God, what was Ellie going to do? Walk back alone. Walk into Jackson and have to tell everyone she was gone. Without warning the buzzing pulsed with a red hot pain. “Ah!” Dina gasped clutching her thigh as of that would help. Branding irons probably hurt less. “Fucking hell. You really undersold this.” She gritted. Come to think of it she knew plenty of horror stories about tetanus. Maybe this was just the two-day speed version where you turned into a flesh-eating mushroom condo after. 

Ellie scoot forward a permanent pain wracking her face.“You’re not alone,” she swallowed, “Whichever way you choose.” Dina flinched again as another spike hit her. Each time it seemed to push the now burning sensation further. Her eyes clenched shut breaths hitching trying to negotiate with the pain. 

“I love you.” Dina reached out tracing over Ellie’s cheek. She wondered if she would remember the color of her eyes once it started to settle in. “It wasn’t long but we sure raised whatever hell we could.” Ellie smiled weakly leaning into the touch. A few more hours. Might as well make the best of it. The first kiss was rushed. This was an acceptance. Slow, thoughtful. When the pain flared up Ellie would hold her tight until it faded again. It started coming in long spells instead of waves. Dina couldn’t say anything let alone generate a thought. She clung to the arms wrapped around her waist. Tried to focus on the way her back lined up against Ellie’s chest. Slow and strong breaths against her shaking ones. 

It takes longer for some people to start showing symptoms. Sam has seemed fine. By this point Riley was getting irritable. Most everyone had decided what they were going to do by now. A low fever was starting. Ellie wasn’t sure if Dina had managed to fall asleep or not. The moon had risen high and started to fall. Ellie couldn’t sleep. She wasn’t going leave Dina alone for this. The sun came up and she still hadn’t moved. The fever was getting worse. Thick beads of sweat rolled off her face. Soaked through her shirt. Ellie took a wet cloth slowly working it around to different parts of her body. The relief it gave was little to none but she wasn’t going to stop. “Water?” Dina shook her hold on Ellie’s hand was weakening. 

“Right here.” Ellie tilted her head up letting a small stream flow down. This didn’t seem quite right. Nearly a full day and her symptoms didn't seem to be getting worse. Maybe Ellie was imagining it in an overly optimistic attempt to keep sane. Dina was a fighter. She knew that much already. But how long could someone fight off the urges of a parasite? Ellie started humming softly. They were all songs from the tape Riley had given her. 

Just over thirty hours and Ellie had been counting every minute. A massive turkey strutted by the window. Ellie killed and cleaned it. The motions coming from muscle memory alone. She stared at the full pan but couldn’t bring herself to eat anything. Dina had gone unconscious around the thirty-six mark. She should end it and move on before it got any worse. But Ellie couldn’t think of anything worse then what had already happened. She was cursed to watch everyone die and live alone. More time and she couldn’t decide. Dina groaned head moving slightly. This is it. This is the end.

“Motherfucker.” She mumbled. Ellie’s gaze shot back eyes wide. 

“You can talk?!” It wasn’t so much a direct question as it was a confused outburst. “That’s not, you shouldn’t be able to.” Ellie scrambled crawling to her side putting a hand on her forehead. It wasn’t burning like the night before. “What the fuck?” A sleepless night had to be making her delirious. There’s no way... Ellie pushed the torn remains of her jeans aside. A light streak of blood had seeped through the wrap she had put on. Ellie unraveled it knowing what she should see, but what if that’s not what was there. 

Open sores. Dark red rings and tendrils. That’s what should have been covering Dina’s entire leg at this point. Ellie laughed. A short bark. “What is this?” Red inflammation from the initial wound. A pale and sparse rash crawling around the sides. “You, you’re?”

“You’re immune.” Riley blinked heavily barely able to focus. 

“That’s not possible.” Ellie had been watching Riley crumble but other then pain she felt nothing. It was impossible, everyone knew that. Yet here she was. 

The laugh moved from broken bursts to a full rumble. The weight of the air dissipated it hadn’t been two days but she knew. “You’re fucking immune. Did I do that?” The words came out before she even though about it. “Can I do that?” Ellie’s mouth froze open. Was it actually possible that she had passed her immunity on?It’s not like there were high chances she’d met another immune person through fate alone. 

Ellie threw the old bandages to the side and re-wrapped the bite with clean ones. Dina probably couldn’t wear shorts for the next few years but that seemed like a small price to pay. Ellie kept mumbling her disbelief laying in front of Dina. She kissed her temple softly. “You’re going to be so fucking confused when you wake up.” Ellie fell asleep easily knowing she wouldn’t have to wake up to someone she didn’t know. 

“Ow.” Dina twitched awake immediately curling into a ball. Ellie dropped the wet bandages running over. She skidded to a stop on her knees. 

“Hey. How you feeling?”

Dina looked up confused, Ellie seemed a little to happy. “Dying?” Everything ached and she could swear her joints creaked with each movement. She remembered most of the first day but this didn’t seem right, “Wait,” 

“It’s been three days. You’re uh,” Ellie scratched the back of her neck, “fine?”

Dina’s head was still foggy but that definitely sounded fake. Ellie laughed awkwardly. “I think I lied to you before. I might actually be contagious.”

Dina stopped asking questions after that and suddenly Ellie wanted to compare every aspect of how she felt. 

_ “Did you get migraines?” _

_ “Did it constantly smell like burning hair?” _

_ “How long do you think it took before you built up an immunity?” _

_ “Dammit. There’s no way I’m kissing everyone in town. You have to help.” _

It was slow to heal in comparison to normal wounds. After a few weeks nasty blisters were still popping up. Ellie would remind her constantly not to break them. The whole thing was tender for months after the bite had closed and pale scars took its place. Dina could see why Ellie didn’t get the tattoo until she was seventeen. 

“I’ve been thinking.” Dina had been staring at the same page-turning the idea over in her head. 

“Uh-oh.” Ellie mumbled already half asleep. 

“We don’t have the best medical equipment here but I want to try some, stuff,” Ellie groaned digging her nose into Dina’s stomach. “Hey, nothing crazy but we could start with some blood tests. Theeeeeoreticaly if we passed immunity to someone with type O...” It’s not like there was a way to make it sound not weird. There was a possibility something as simple as a blood transfusion could work...

Ellie used the same joke for years. ‘This mouth saves lives.’ And a hundred more variations of her kissing abilities. Dina thought it would be tacky to get matching tattoos considering how few people had them in the first place. She settled on a bird flying with a flowering twig in its beak. The pattern swirled around the back of her calf almost touching her ankle. Maybe one day they’d be able to tell everyone what happed. Until she could find concrete proof her survival was nothing but a fluke. 

**Author's Note:**

> *takes a long drag from a flaming directors cap* make them kiss, but stressfully. 
> 
> I did all the writing, editing and posting on my phone so hopefully there are no glaring mistakes. Take this story and don’t starve while I’m gone. Loaf you all. Feel free to bug me about anything from clouds to ducks or I guess writing too,


End file.
